Ferdinand servus



(No Mbdel.)

P. SEBVUS. SUPPORT FOR CAMERAS OR OTHER PURPOSES. No. 473,357. Patented Apr. 179, 1892.

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rTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND SERVUS, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

SUPPORT FOR CAMERAS OR OTHER PURPOSES. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,357, dated April 19, 1892.

Application filed May 9, 1891. Serial No. 392,184. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND SERvUs, a citizen of the German Empire, and a resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Supports for Cameras or other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel stand for supporting a photographic camera, the construction being such that when the stand is folded it constitutes a walkingstick.

To accomplish this object my invention consists in the features of construction and the combination or arrangement of devices, hereinafter described and claimed reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of my improved stand in position for use. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the same, omitting some of the parts. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the stand in its folded condition to form a walking-stick. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the upper end portion of the stand. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 00 :12, Fig. 3; and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail views hereinafter explained.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I will now clescribe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, where it will be seen that the stand comprises the metal tube 32 and the three wooden rods 33 34 35,which can be adjusted, as hereinafter explained, to form a tripod. The transverse sections of these rods form a section, so that when they are laid together they have the appearance of a single round rod. Laid together in this manner they can be slid into the metal tube 32. The rods are, moreover, provided at one end with metallic points 33' 34 35, while at their other end they are turned or made pointed or provided with metal pins 33 34 35 these pins fitting into the sockets or holes 36 37 38, formed in a metallic knob 39, the pin 39' of which is screwed or pushed into the metal tube'32 or fixed in anysuitable manner to the tube so that it can be removed. The metal tube 32 is of the diameter and form of an ordinary walking-stick, and, like the latter, is varnished in any appropriate manner. Then the folded stand is used as a walking-stick, the knob 39 serves for conveniently holding the same.

While one end of the tube 32 is closed by the knob 39, into the other end is fitted the plug 40. This metallic plug 40 forms the point of the Walking-stick; but when the stand is in use it serves for mounting the camera upon the upper part of the tube. In the interior of the tube 32 are also put the strings 41 41, the ball 42, and the clamping-screw 43. ject of these parts will hereinafter be ex plained.

For mounting the stand all the parts are taken from the tube 32 and the three rods 33 y 34 35 are passed by their pins 33 34 35 into the holes 36, 37, and 38 in the knob 39. The tube 32 is again slid upon the pin 39 on the knob 39, and the stand thus formed is put with the The obpoints 33 34 35 of the rods 33 34 35 upon the ground. In order to give the necessary rigidity to the Whole, the strings 41 41 are used. The strings 41 are provided at their ends with rings 44, which are passed over the points 33' 34 35'. The length of the three strings 41 is such that they form between the points 33' 34' 35 a triangle of tightly-stretched strings, which prevents the rods 33 34' 35 from opening too far. Moreover, the strings 41', made of the exact length required, connect the.

points 33 34' 35' with the upper parts of the tube 32, where they are secured to the latter by means of the hooks 44 so that the necessary connection of all the parts is insured. The mode of fastening the strings to the several parts of the device can be greatly varied. For instance, the rings 44 can be replaced by hooks, and the hooks 44 can be replaced by rings. Furthermore, the triangle may consist of only one string, to which the ringsare fastened in any suitable manner. These modifications do not change anything in the nature of the invention. In all cases the strings are stretched between the several parts of the stand and give the requisite stiffness to the whole.

The camera can be fixed upon the tube 32 in the simplest manner, either through the upon the tube 32 that it can be readily adjusted to all sides and also vertically. For this purpose I preferably employ a ball, which is simply inserted into the upper end-of the tube, and upon this ball the camera is secured in any suitable manner. The diameter of the ball must be a little larger than the inner diameter of the tube, in order that it may be firmly held in any adjusted position within the tube by frictional contact therewith. In the drawings two such devices are represented, use being made of both the ball 42 and the plug 40. The outer 'part of the latter is for this purpose also made in the form of a ball. \Vhen themetallic ball 42 is not used, it is put-in the upper part of the tube 32 in an enlarged part of the stick, and by means of the pin 39 on the knob 39 it is firmlypressed into the said enlarged part, so that it cannot be shaken to and fro in the interior of the tube. The ball 42 carries at the top a screw 42, upon which the camera is fixed. hen the stand is folded, this screw 42 has its position in the hollow pin 39', so that the lower surface of the pin 39 bears directly upon the ball, so as to hold the latter firmly.

The lower half of the ball 42 is provided with a slit, and into the slit is screwed a taper screw 42 This screw 42 has adouble object. In the first place it is adapted to press a little asunder the two ball parts, which are separated by the slit. By this means the ball will become somewhat broader below. This may in man'ycases be advantageous when the end of the tube 32, upon which the ball with the camera is placed, has become somewhat wider, so that the ball would not orherwise tightly fit therein.

The next important object of the screw 42 is thatits head prevents the camera from turnin g over with the ball and falling to the ground.

After placing the ball with the camera fixed thereon in the tube 3 the camera can be turned andadjusted in every direction, but only as far as the projecting head of the screw 42 will permit, The latter ultimately bears against the inner wall of the tube 32, andaccordingly the camera cannot be inclined far enough to turn over. .The adj ustability of the camera as far as it may be desirable is thereby insured in every direction, because the ball is held in different positions in the tube by the frictional contact of the ball with the internal surface'of the tube.

Of course the camera can be fixed in any suitable manner upon the ball 42. For example, in the ball may be drilled a hole, into which the pin on the camera is inserted. Furthermore, the taper screw 42 can be replaced by a simple screw or pin without making use of a slit in case the ball is not to be enlarged.

For putting the camera upon the stand use can be made of the plug 40, which also forms a ball 45 at its lower end. In this instance the camera is screwedto the pin part 45 in any suitable manner. IVhen the stand is folded, the pin 45 forms the point of the walking-stick. The ball 45 and the pin 45 are made of metal, while the part 45' can be made of wood. In the case of the plug 40 the part 45, for example, is slit above, so that the two clamping-jaws are formed, which give a little and between which a small camera may be clamped. For this purpose a clamp- :ing-screw 43 is added, which is inserted through corresponding holes in the clamping-jaws and which by tightening the nut holds the camera between two clampingjaws. The ball 42 can be dispensed with, or when the ball 42 is employed the plug 45, provided with the ball, can be replaced by one which only serves for closing the tube or as a point of the stick. Although only one of the two devices is needed, both may be placed in the same stand.

It is evident that the above-described stand may also be employed for telescopes, as holders for lamps, and various other purposes.

hat I claim is-- 1. A stand which when folded forms a walking-stick, consisting ofthree rods 33 34 35, the knob 39, which is provided with holes 36 37 38 for fastening the rods 33 34 35, furthermore the plug 40, the strings or cords 41 41, provided with rings and hooks, which parts can all be concealed in the tube 32 of the stick and are combined so as to form a stand in such a manner that the tube 32 rests with the knob 39 upon the rods 33 34 35 and carries the camera at its upper end, while the strings or cords 41 41 connect the lower ends of the legs with each other and with the upper part of the tube 32 for the purpose of forming a rigid whole, substantially as described.

2. A camera stand or support consisting of a tube having at one end a detachable knob, a series of rods arranged in the tube, removable therefrom, and having means for engaging the knob to form a tripod, and means for supporting a camera at the upper end of the tube when the rods are adjusted to form a tripod, substantially as described.

3. In a camera stand or support, the 001m bination, with a tube having means to support it in an upright position, of a split ball having means to engage a camera and a tapering screw engaging the split portion of the ball for expanding the latter and causing it to tightly fit the interior of the tube for holding the ball in different adj usted positions therein, substantially as described.

4. In a camera stand or support, the combination, with the tube 32, of the knob 39, detachably secured at oneend of the tube, and a ball 42, having means to engage and support a photographic camera and held within the tube by frictional contact with the internal surface thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a camera stand or support, the combination of a tube having at one end a detachable knob provided with a series of sockets, a series of rods arranged in the tube, removable therefrom, and having pins at one extremity for engaging the sockets in the ence of two witnesses, this 18th day of Febknob to form a tripod, and means for supportruary, 1891.

in a camera at the upper end of the tube T when the rods are adjusted to form the tripod, FERDINAND SERVL 5 substantially as described. Witnesses:

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I. LEMAN,

my invention Ihave signed my name, in pres- Y A. SIEBER. 

